


Can't give up

by AtlantaLovers



Category: The Walking Dead RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2018-12-18 16:17:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11878194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtlantaLovers/pseuds/AtlantaLovers
Summary: He already lost her.He never really had her in the first place.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I think it's known there are certain Blind Items concerning these two individuals, and I've been keeping up with them for a few months now. This work doesn't intent any harm and in no way I claim to know the reality of what happens between Melissa and Norman. For all we know, they might be just friends and those Blinds can be nothing but silly rumors made up to gain trafic in their site. 
> 
> I'm moderating comments because I know how things can become ugly, but any kind of criticism is welcomed if the intent is to make me grow as a writer. 
> 
> The chapters will have time jumps in between, so I hope it's not confusing.
> 
> Also, French is my first language, so you will probably find some mistakes. My beta reader also doesn't speak English, so don't blame on her either.
> 
> Finally, thank you C., for putting up with me when it comes to this fic. I love you!

He is just tired   
He is just fucking tired of this. He doesn't care anymore. It’s not afraid anymore. It can’t hurt more than it does already. He already lost her.    
  
He never really had her in the first place.    
  
And he is fucked up. He knows that. He knows he has a lot to learn, knows he is probably not the best kind of guy a woman would wish for herself in terms of settle down, of commit herself to a lifetime spent together. He is probably not, by a long long shot, what she deserves.   
  
But he loves her. He fucking loves her with everything he has, everything _ he is _ , everything he wishes to become. If this is not meant to be, if it’s bound to end this way, he owns himself at least that. At least the truth. Owns himself at least to be brave for once and tell her everything because after that, if she handles it back to him, he knows he won’t have any regrets. Knows he won’t wake up every damn day wondering what he could have said different, what he could have done that would make her fall in love with him. 

 

He knows that this, right now, it’s what truly means to fight for someone. And there is some dignity in that. There is something about it that tells him that even if the end result is the one he dreads the most, he has nothing to be ashamed of. 

 

He thinks all of that before raising his fist, knocking at her door.

 

Once

Twice   
Three times

 

He listens to the sounds of her making her through the house, making her way to where he is. She opens the door for him.

And that’s it. 

 

Her blue eyes, so big, so beautiful, so everything he loves and wishes and cherish and resents all the same.  _ So everything _ .

 

Every single one of his thoughts evaporates, turns into ashes the moment he stares at her, and  _ please please, make her say yes to everything he has to offer, even if it’s not enough _ . 

 

_ “Melissa… we need to talk”. _


	2. 2010  - A random Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He loves all of them. 
> 
> But Melissa is different.

_“So you’re telling me you broke up with her… on a phone call?”_

 

Her voice doesn’t carry any judgment or nothing like everything he heard from the others.  
It doesn’t make him feel less ashamed though.

 

_“What, what was I supposed to do? Call her to come down here so I could tell her it’s over the moment I opened the door? This doesn’t make any sense”_

 

She laughs. She fucking laughs like he just told her the funniest joke he could ever tell, and he can’t help but laugh too. It feels good. It feels like a weight lift from his shoulders, if he’s been honest with himself. To have someone that doesn’t gasp and tells him how fucked up he is by doing just that, when in reality, he just wanted to make things easier. Both for him and Jarah alike.

 

_“Ok, I understand why you did it alright? I do. Unlike what everyone else probably told you, specially Andy, I can see that it doesn’t make much sense for you to meet up with her in the middle of filming season just for a break up”_

  
  
_“Thank yo-”_ he start, but she cuts him before he can finish

  
  
_“I haven’t finished yet. But…”_

 

He groans when he hears the word. _“Cmon Mel, no “buts”_

 

_“BUT”_ she repeats, louder, and he rolls his eyes at her, before returning back the smile she is already giving him. Probably easing the blow. She’s just like that. Handles him his ass back while he feels grateful for the punch. She definitely has a way with him, he thinks. _“Couldn’t you at least wait until filming is wrapped up and you could talk to her in person?”_

 

_“I could. But I would be the shittiest boyfriend on the planet in the meantime and it wasn’t going to be on purpose. I just can’t be in it when I’m not truly in it. And she doesn’t deserve that”_ he looks at his window, the sun dying down already in the horizon. The wind warm and soothing on his heated skin _“She deserves more than that Mel”_ Norman says finally, staring back at her across the sit.

 

She holds his gaze for a moment, before turning her eyes back at the road. He does the same, speeding up in the empty road, surrounded by trees and the smell of what he calls georgia scent. The air here it’s definitely different from New York.

 

_“And you’re ok with how things turned out? I mean, being single again. Do you think you will regret it some time down the line?”_

 

Norman thinks for a moment. Trying to find anything that could make him possibly feel like he made a mistake. He comes up empty.

 

_“I’m ok”_

 

_“Then I guess it’s how it was supposed to be.”_

  
  


* * *

 

 

_“Thanks for the ride”_ Melissa says before stepping out of his truck, closing the door of the car and leaning herself against it. _“Are you ok for tomorrow?”_

 

He smiles at her, the excitement shining all over his face.

 

_“It’s going to be fucking awesome.”_ she nods at that, flashing him another smile. She’s about to turn around when he speaks again _“Are you going over the lines before sleeping? If you have anything, any idea, send me a message. I’m not gonna sleep early”_

 

_“Is there any day where you sleep early?”_ She teases him with a smirk.

 

_“I’m a creature of the night”_ he winks at her, causing Melissa to roll her eyes before smiling again.

 

_“Bye Norman”_ she says while walking the path towards her door, waving at him without looking back at his car.

 

_“See you tomorrow McBride”_ he waits until she closes the door, before going back down the road to his house.

 

They don’t live far away from each other, but while he drives back home, the smell of her perfume still lingers in the cabin of his truck. He likes this part. Where he drops her home and comes back to his own house, replaying the day they spent together in his mind over and over.

 

He loves all of them. Andy is his brother. The guy he looks up to whenever he is around. Steven is the first person he wants to see whenever he has something exciting to share, simply because it seems like he’s bursting with happiness even more than you. Jon, Laurie, Sarah… every single one of them became his family for the past year.

 

But Melissa is different.

 

He doesn’t know exactly why, he just knows she is.They clicked. Since the first time they saw each other, it seems like they found exactly what they have been looking for in a friendship. Even though they are so different at a first glance, something about their sense of humor, their thoughts and feelings about the world in general, their shared passion with art and photography, they just fit together.

 

From all of them, she’s definitely his best friend. The one he wants to share every single one of his thoughts and feelings, and wants to hear everything she has to tell him. The one he can spend a whole day doing nothing at all, and still doesn’t feel like it was a wasted day. He feels comfortable in a way he never really felt with anyone, not even with Helena. And at the same time, he feels challenged to be better, to keep up with her fast thoughts and sarcastic jokes. Feels like he needs her to look at him and sees the best she can see.

 

They made it their thing, to spend their Sundays together, sometimes just talking, sometimes just driving around. Sometimes they watch a movie, or go for a walk with her dog. Sometimes they work over their lines. No matter what they do, the sundays are theirs.

 

When he stops at his garage, he’s already looking forward to the next one. Opening his door, he spots Eye already perched in his place of choice, in the middle of the couch. It’s when he remembers he forgot the script inside the car. Coming back, he opens the door of the truck and spot the papers at the back sit, and grabbing it with his hands, his eyes linger in the name at the top.

 

_“ **Episode title** : Wildfire” _  

 

Damn, he looks forward to Sunday, but he can’t wait until Monday arrives and he’s back on set with Mel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some other characters will feature in this story, specially Norman's past relationships. I will avoid writing about Mingus though, as much as I can.


	3. 2010 - The Walking Dead Premiere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If you want to build something with someone, if you want to spend your life with this person and build something, a future, those people you met along the way will be just that, experiences you lived, something to treasure, but it doesn’t erase what you have with the person you love”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added at the warnings about both Melissa and Norman being temporary involved with others because this will happen a few times in this fic. I forgot to add it the first time, so I'm sorry for that.

She walks through the crowd straight for the bar. Her phone clutched in her hand.

 

 _“Vodka please”_ she asks before sitting at the stool, breathing deeply before checking the message flashing on her screen.

 

 

_Heard that you’re now a tv star._   
_I’m really happy for you Melly._   
_I’ll be in town this weekend._   
_Maybe we can meet up and celebrate? ;)_

 

 

 _“Son of a bitch”_ Melissa says under her breath.

 

 _“Who’s a son of a bitch?”_ Laurie asks behind her shoulder, making Melissa drop a little bit of Vodka on her shoes.

 

 _“Damnit Laurie”_ She hisses at the cold feeling, throwing Laurie a dirty look while her friend sits at the stool in front of her.  
 

 

 _“I’m sorry.”_ Laurie says, kissing the air as an apology . _“What’s wrong?”_

 

 _“You won’t believe who just texted me”_ Melissa answers, before drinking a large gulp of her drink, the alcohol still burning the way down her throat.

 

_“Who?”_

 

 _“Robert”_ She says under her breath, the name rolling down her tongue like it tastes something bad.

 

 _“What??!!! No way! What did he say?”_ Laurie’s tone it’s not any better, and Melissa takes comfort at that.

 

 _“Congratulating me about the show…”_ Melissa looks around the party, spotting Norman and Madison dancing together. She smiles at that, before turning her head to Laurie and sighing before speaking. _“And saying he will be in town next weekend, if maybe we could ‘celebrate’”_

 

 _“Oh my god”_ Her friend hits the table hard, making them both jump at the force of it . _“Did you answer him back?”_

 

 _“No. And I definitely won’t.”_ Melissa answers quickly, because she won’t for sure text him back. And because if she had ever thought about the possibility, Laurie would definitely kill her.

 

 _“Good. I hate this guy. I can’t believe he had the nerve of sending you something”_ Melissa can’t believe it either. After everything that happened in her relationship, she just can’t understand how easily he can talk to her, like it never hurt him to actually lose her. They spent eight year together, which was definitely a lot in her books for her to get over so easily, especially when she thinks about how hurtful their break up was _“You know what you need?”_

 

Laurie snaps her back to reality, making a gesture with her fingers that very clearly implies sex, and Melissa laughs, quickly grabbing her hands and stopping her before anybody sees it.

 

_“Ha, definitely it’s not something I need right now.”_

 

 _“Cmon, when was the last time you had a mind blowing fuck?”_ Her friend asks, shaking her head at her disapproval of her idea.

 

 _“I don’t think I ever had a mind blowing fuck, if you ask me”_ Melissa answers smiling, drinking again from her glass before setting it down at the counter. It’s burning less now. Which means she’ll be drunk soon if she doesn’t stop.

 

 _“Well…”_ Laurie raises her eyebrow, tilting her head in the direction of the dance floor, and Melissa follows her movement before her eyes land on Norman. He’s smiling at something Rooker is telling him, before gesturing with his hands to emphasize something he is talking about.

 

 _“Ha, you go for it.”_ She laughs, shaking her head. _“Norman is adorable, but… not really my type”_ They do have chemistry, she thinks. Something about them clicked since they first saw each other, and it’s so easy to be in his company. She feels alive when he’s around, carefree. Comfortable. Feels a lot like herself if she’s being honest.

 

But still, he’s not the kind of person she could ever see herself having something with.

 

 _“And what it’s your type then?”_ Laurie asks, scanning the crowd as if she’s looking for the next candidate.

 

 _“Apparently asshole guys who are not worth my time? I don’t know”_ Melissa answers bitterly _“Besides, I saw Jared last saturday”_ She doesn’t know why she shares this, but it’s out of her mouth before she can really think about it.

 

 _“Oh, Jared huh? How was it?”_ Laurie looks back at her, already interested in the details.

 

 _“Well… not bad”_ Melissa smiles at the annoyed look Laurie throws at her, by now knowing she won’t share anything more than that. Not in the middle of a party anyway.

 

 _“You should give him a chance”_ Laurie says after a while, her tone more somber than before.

 

_“I don’t want anything serious right now”_

 

 _“Mel, it’s been what? Almost two years since you and Robert broke up. You can’t close yourself off for this for the rest of your life”_ Laurie’s tone is worried, her hand dropping on top of Melissa’s hand that rests on the bar counter.

 

 _“It’s not that…”_ She breaths, before trying to put into words why exactly she’s not open to a relationship right now. _“I don’t want to have to make sacrifices for someone. A relationship can’t work without you letting go of a few things, and the same goes for the other person. I don’t want to watch a documentary if I’m in the mood for Breaking Bad. I don’t want to sleep on the left side of the bed. I don’t want to go for dinner if I want to stay home and ask for a take out.”_ She stops to collect her thoughts. “ _And I don’t want anyone doing something like that for me either and making me feel like I’m at a fault by not doing the same. Anyway, this conversation is depressing.”_ She waves Laurie off before she can reply, and that’s when she spots Norman moving in their direction. _“ And your guy it’s coming our way”_

 

Laurie turns around, seeing Norman approaching them and smiling at him before looking back at melissa.

 

 _“My guy, right”_ She winks right before Norman catches them, stopping beside them.

 

 _“Hey”_ He greets both, before setting his eyes on Melissa. _“Haven’t seen you around tonight”_

 

 _“You might have to kick someone’s ass Norman, just warning you”_ Laurie says, and Melissa chokes halfway with her glass on her lips.

 

 _“Laurie!”_ Melissa shoots her a look, setting down her glass, but it’s too late.  
  
  
  
  
_“What’s wrong?”_ Norman asks, confused.

 

 _“You never told him about Robert?”_ Laurie asks at the same time, her expression mirroring Norman’s, and his head turns fast from one to the other.

 

 _“Who’s Robert?”_ He says, deciding that he’s going to focus on Melissa.

 

 _“Shit, sorry. I didn’t know that”_ Laurie apologizes, her tone showing she truly regretted her slip.

 

 _“Who the fuck is Robert? Is he here? What is he doing? Is he bothering you?”_ Norman asks all the questions without a pause, looking around and trying to spot whoever this guy is.

 

 _“No, he’s not. Calm down. It’s just an ex boyfriend. He texted me”_ Melissa answers finally, looking at him with an apology in her eyes.

 

 _“Oh”_ Norman says when he understands _“You never told me about him”_ His tone is accusatory, and Melissa dares to think, hurt.

 

 _“Because it’s not important”_ She waves him off too, going for her drink, but his next words stop her.

 

 _“I told you all about my ex girlfriends”_ No doubts, his voice is truly hurt this time. Melissa smiles at him and touch his arm.

 

 _“I’m sorry honey.”_ Her apology doesn’t do much for him.

 

 _“Yeah, yeah”_ He waves it off, crossing his arms in front of his chest _“Now tell me about him_ ”

 

 _“Not tonight.”_ Melissa answers, and points at Laurie, who’s sitting there watching their conversation with a knowing smile on her face   _“Look, Laurie wants to dance”_

 

 _“Yeah, I do, cmon”_ Laurie answers fast, grabbing his arm and pulling him along with her. Knowing melissa too well to know she’s definitely not in the mood for talking anymore.

 

He eyes her before leaving with Laurie, turning his head back to gesture at her that “their conversation is not over”. Melissa smiles at him, before finishing her drink and getting up herself. It’s time to go home, she thinks. Doesn’t see much point in staying when her mood is already downcast as it is.

* * *

 

 

She’s already in bed when her phone buzz again, and she hesitates before grabbing it to check the message. If it’s Robert again, she’ll mostly ignore it. But to her relief, it’s not.

 

Norman’s name flashes at the screen, and when she unlocks her phone to check his message, she smiles at the picture before her eyes. Both him and Laurie inside of his car, her head on his shoulder while she smiles with her eyes closed, Norman’s tongue sticking out of his mouth while he looks at the camera.

 

Melissa types a reply, before saving the picture in her Camera roll.

 

_There’s a condom in your wallet, hope it’s not expired._

 

_How the hell do you know that?_

_;)_

 

_Are you ok?_

 

_Yes. Don’t worry._

 

_Gonna drop by tomorrow_

 

_Ok. bye._

 

_What are you doing?_

 

_Oh my God Norman, you’re not gonna keep texting me while having sex with my friend._

 

_I’m not having sex with her. Yet._

 

_There’s a sister code here and you’re breaking it._   
_She’ll tell me everything tomorrow, so you better put a hell of a performance,_   
_and you’re already starting in a bad shape if you’re spending your time with her_   
_texting someone else._

_Really? This is not fair. What about my privacy?_

 

_Haha. You’re funny. Go._   
_Otherwise I’ll look at you and think you’re bad in the sack while we’re having lunch or reading scripts._   
_It’ll be at back of my mind all the time._

 

_Fuck, alright alright. See you tomorrow._

 

_Bye bye._

 

She just shakes her head before smiling again, setting down her phone on the night stand before closing her eyes and drifting off.

* * *

 

 

He drops his cellphone with a sigh, looking at her across the couch while she reads her book.

_“So, how was I last night?”_

 

Melissa smiles, not looking up from the page she's reading on. Already expecting for this question the moment he passed by her door right after lunch time.

 

 _“She hasn’t told me yet”_ She says, but then she looks at him, a smirk playing on her lips. _“But if she had, I wouldn’t tell you”_ She grins, her tone all mysterious and he groans out loud.

 

 _“You’re an ass”_ She laughs this time, her eyes back to her book, the warm breeze of Georgia coming from the open window in her living room making her sigh. She can feel Norman’s eyes on her, the silence ticking by and suddenly she knows what he’s gonna ask before he even does.

 

 _“Mel… who’s Robert?”_ He doesn't fail her. She sets her book aside, sitting up with her legs beneath her body. Maybe it's time to just spill it out.

_“He was an ex boyfriend. We dated for eight years”_

 

 _“Eight years!!!?”_ Norman shouts, looking at her without believing what she just said _“And you never told me??”_

 

 _“Have you ever told me about Helena?”_ Melissa shots back, before she can help herself. Many times she wondered why Norman jumped from meaningless relationship to an even more empty ones, and she suspects Helena might have a part on it. Still she never pushed him. Never will, unless she sees an opening to it.

 

 _“Hell yeah, I have”_ He answers, and she shakes her head at that.

 

_“No, you haven't. You told me you dated her, but you never told me why it was over or how it was for you, have you?”_

 

 _“I…”_  He falters, seeming like he’s scanning his brain for any situation where he spoke to her about his ex in more deeper terms than just “yeah, we dated”. Mel knows he won't find any. _“Ok, fair enough. I never did that.”_ He admits after a while, dropping his eyes to his lap “ _I’m sorry”_ he mutters, and she sees herself once again shaking her head at him.

 

 _“No, It’s alright. You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t really want to”_ Norman looks up at her again, contemplating her words. Silent for longer than she thought he was capable of. Norman is usually someone who says whatever it's going on in his mind at the moment, but right now he thinks carefully before speaking again.

 

 _“I never did because it’s not something that pops up in my mind any longer. But this Robert guy…”_ He hesitates, and Melissa realizes for the first time how big of a deal she’s making of this. It shouldn't be like this anymore. Not after so long. _“He shakes you.”_

 

 _“Yeah, I…”_ She tries to find the right words to explain why she still feels so crushed about it, but she comes up empty. “It was a complicated relationship”

 

 _“Do you want to talk about it or… if you don’t, I get it”_ He says in a rush, and she smiles at him because this is one of the reasons why they are so good together, why they understand each other so well. They care. They care too much.

 

 _“No, it’s ok. I think… it’s good to talk about it.”_ She takes a deep breath, trying to find the courage she needs to say it. To spill everything. She doesn't know why it feels like such a huge deal to talk about it with Norman, but it does. Maybe because it seems like he knows her so well already, despite them knowing each other for over more than a year. She doesn't want to see pity in his eyes. Doesn't want him to look at her like she is less. Not in the way she already feels like she is when it comes to this. But she already started it, she might as well go on with it. _“We.. we dated for eight years. Almost lived together at a point. But… Robert was a very complicated man”_ Melissa closes her eyes, remembering what it felt like when he first opened up to her about his life. About his mother dying. About losing his only brother. How hard it was to be alone in this world since he was no more than a teenager. The drug abuse. How he hit rock bottom and almost didn't come back. And she remembers how much she cherished the trust he put on her to share his darkest secrets with her _. “He had many hang ups”_ She opens her eyes again, staring at Norman while his eyes are fixed on her. _“He was also married once and it was heartbreaking for him. I think I wanted to… I don’t know, I think I wanted to fix him somehow. Be the one who saved him maybe?”_ She realizes how wrong that sounds the moment she speaks it, and tries to explain him what exactly she meant, suddenly afraid of what he would think of her _“Not for him to own me anything, it’s not that_ . _I just...I like this. I like helping people. I like helping them to find their way, to become better”_ He nods even before she finished her sentence, washing away her fears with one gesture. She stays silent for a few seconds, suddenly well aware of how much all of this still hurts somehow. _“We can’t fix anyone Norman. We can’t”_ She whispers.

 

 _“Why you guys broke up?”_ Norman asks after a while, and she realizes how wrong she was in not sharing with him this part of her. For some reason she thought he would never truly understand what she feels, would judge her for that in a way, or would just not know how to talk to her about it. He proves her wrong by asking her just the right thing, at the right moment.

 

 _“I don’t believe in monogamous relationships. I don’t think it’s fair to prevent yourself or your partner of sharing other experiences.”_ She sees his eyes going wide at that and she wonders if it's so shocking for people to see her as the kind of person who believes in such a free way to love. Wonders what kind of image she passes when people look at her _“Don’t get me wrong, I really admire my mom and dad, but it’s just… not for me. We only have this life Norman.”_ She thinks about one of her best friends who passed away just two years before, and her brother, deceased at the same year, just a few months after. How fast everything happened, how fast death took them away from everyone they loved, from everyone who loved them. “ _We only have this one life, and what if you happen to meet someone on a trip? What if a person crosses your path and she has something to teach you? To show you? If it’s meant to be someone you had to meet and share something special? I'm not talking about relationships here, I'm not even talking about sex, although it’s the big issue. I do think you need to have boundaries and you need to, even in this way of life, to set rules and sacrifice a few things. But It’s not fair to prevent yourself from sharing something with someone you met on a special occasion and might not ever meet again in your life”_    
  
  
  
She catches her breath, realizing how much and how fast she spoke. Norman is still silent, his eyes not so wide anymore. She sees understanding in them. It makes her braver to say what she really feels. _“And you know, if you want to build something with someone, if you want to spend your life with this person and build something, a future, those people you met along the way will be just that, experiences you lived, something to treasure, but it doesn’t erase what you have with the person you love”_ He nods at that, showing her he’s listening to it, even though he remains silent. _“Anyway, I never believed in exclusive relationships, and at first Robert agreed to it and… it worked. Or it worked for me. Until he couldn’t deal anymore. So I… I agreed in giving in. I did because I could sacrifice that for him”_ Melissa drops her eyes then, because deep down she still doesn't want to see whatever Norman has to offer when she speaks her next words. _“And then I found out he was cheating on me for months, a week before we move in together”_

 

 _“Fuck.”_ Norman gasps, and Melissa dares to look up at him. She sees anger. Hurt reflected in his eyes.

 

Not a trace of pity.

 

She sighs in relief at that. She's tired herself of the feeling.

 

 _“I just… I couldn't believe it. I was just devastated. He apologized, he asked for forgiveness, but I couldn't. We broke up. A few months after, right before we start shooting, he looked for me so we could talk. You know, at least stop hating each other. I agreed. We talked. I said I had no hard feelings. But well, I do of course. I don't think I love him anymore, but I resent him.”_ She finishes finally, rubbing her eye tired before murmuring “Well, that's my story, now you know”

 

_“I'm sorry. He’s an asshole Mel. An asshole who doesn't deserve you”_

 

 _“Yeah yeah, I know that”_ she shrugs him off because rationally she does know he never deserved her. To feel like it, it's a whole new story.

 

 _“No, I'm serious.”_ Norman says, his tone firm, and Melissa actually pays attention this time. Because something about the way he speaks tells her he’s talking very seriously right now. _“Everything about you… he’s just an asshole. And…”_ He doesn't elaborate more on that, even though Melissa admits she was willing to listen. To what is this “everything about her” that he couldn't express it right. But he changes the subject, focusing instead on another point of what he was trying to say. _“What you said, the way you see things… I don't know if you blame yourself or not for what happened, but it's not on you. I imagine it wasn't easy for him, but it's not on you. And in the end, he proved he wasn't worthy of any kind of relationship you had to offer. Crap, he wasn't worthy of anything”_ He looks at her in the most genuine way he can, and she smiles at him. She shouldn't have judged him as someone who wouldn't get what she went through, not after all these months of friendship.

 

 _“Thanks”_ She says after a while, meaning this time. Accepting the comfort he offers. _“Ok, now tell me. About Helena”_ She’s not going to push. If he is not willing to tell her, she will drop it. But she doesn't want to be the only one with skeletons out of the closet.

 

But Norman seems to be willing to open up to her, and it's a relief to know he trust her as much as she did right now.

 

 _“Not much to say there. I wanted us to work because.. the first year was so amazing. So fantastic.”_ He stops, looking at some point behind her shoulder and she knows he’s lost in the past too. Remembering for a moment what happened that made his relationship shift. “ _Then it just… fade out you know? But Mingus arrived and I just wanted to… to be that guy. Have a family. A beautiful wife, an amazing kid. To be a good father, a family to call my own. To give my son a family. I liked the picture. I liked what we could have been, and I really wanted that”_ She can notice, the trace of longing in his voice. She wonders if he heard the same when she talked just a few moments ago _“I really did liked her. But it died little by little. I don't think she ever really loved me”._

 

 _“Norman”_ Melissa says, her voice trying to convey that she doesn't believe that. She sees how him and Helena share such a great relationship even though they broke up. She doesn't believe Helena would be the kind of woman to pretend something like this. Most of all, she doesn't want Norman to feed this monster she knows well, that makes you question everything you lived, makes you question if it was indeed true or just a fantasy.

 

But he shakes his head, quietly telling her with his eyes she understood him wrong.

 

 _“No, I mean, I think she loved me, but not… she wasn't in love. So it died until there was nothing there and we decided it was time to end it. It was for the best”_ He says with finality in his voice, but not with hurt. He meant it when he said he got over whatever they could have been. The effects probably still linger, Melissa thinks to herself. She can see it, how he doesn't get himself too deep in anything, in any relationship.

 

But this is not the time to talk about it. Not right now, after they exposed so much.

 

 _“Do you think… that maybe we will have this? I mean, someone. Meant to be. To spend our lives with them”_ She asks instead, and he stares at her for a long moment, before answering with so much certainty she can't help but smile at him.

 

 _“Yes. I do”_ He smiles back, and she feels that hopeful feeling bubbling inside of her. She doesn't think any person needs another human being to be happy in this world. Melissa made her mantra to be enough with herself, even before Robert showed up in her life. Especially after he left. Still, the thought warmed her. That maybe, somewhere out there, someone was truly meant to be.

 

 _“Maybe is Laurie, the one for you”_ Melissa teases him, nudging him with her foot.

 

He catches it in his hands, putting her foot on his lap while laughing. _“Shut up”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a rumor back on season 2/3 about Laurie Holden and Norman possibly having a fling behind the scenes. I anticipated that for season 1 because it would fit the story better.


	4. 2010 - December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are you ok? What's wrong?"
> 
> “Nothing, just jealous you have a date on Friday night in Atlanta while I'm here bored as hell in New York”

She turns around one more time, looking at herself reflected in the mirror. She really made a right choice with this dress, and mentally pats herself in the back. Red is definitely a color she needs to wear more.

 

 

Her phone buzz again, and Melissa picks it up quickly, imagining it could Sarah already telling her she’s waiting at her door. Instead, Norman’s name brights her screen, a warm feeling filling her when she accepts the call.

 

 

 _“Hey you”_ Melissa greets him, her smiling sipping into her voice. In November he went back to New York, with promises of no matter what happened from now on, no matter if the show was renewed for a second season or died at it's first, they wouldn't lose contact with each other. When they received the news that The Walking Dead would have a second season, and better, with 16 episodes, she couldn't believe it. Spent a whole night chatting with Norman about what the next season could bring to them, and she saw he couldn't wait until he was back so they could start working again.

 

 

She missed him, more than she thought she would. He had been a constant presence in her life, and since she opened up to him about her failed relationship, it seemed like something had changed between them. Like they allowed themselves to drop their guard. She thought they were already so open with each other before, but she realized after finally telling him everything and listening to him, how they still had their guards raised concerning some aspects of their lives. It's something that definitely changed.

 

 

Melissa caught herself frequently opening up to him whenever she felt swallowed by those old doubts, or talking to him about her best friend and her brother, and how much she still missed them, how hard it was to deal with their deaths. And Norman started to share more of his true self, his past, his traumas, his relationship, what he went through with the loss of his father and his childhood.  

 

 

She trusted him, and she felt he trusted her just as much. It wasn't a friendship she expected from a guy like him, a ball of energy who seemed so different from what she was used in her most personal relationships.

 

 

But life definitely surprises you sometimes.

 

 

 _“Hey sweetheart. How are you going?”_ Norman answered on the other side of the line

 

 

_“I'm great. You?”_

 

 

_“Fine. Bored. What are you doing?”_

 

 

She smiles at his voice, sounding like a moody teenager on his worst days. _“Norman, it’s Friday night. I doubt you can't find something to do on a Friday night in New York”_

 

 

 _“I'm becoming a southern boy I guess.”_ He teases. _“Spending too much time with certain people”_ She really laughs at that, shaking her head.

 

 

 _“Well, certain people are not staying home tonight, southern boy, so have that”_ She shots him back, staring herself at the mirror with a grin on her face.

 

 

 _“Where are you going?”_ He asks quickly, seeming more surprised than he should be.

 

 

_“I'm going out with Sarah, her husband, and a friend of them”_

 

 

 _“A friend?”_ Norman replies, in a tone that indicates he thinks this is everything but a dinner with a “friend”.

 

 

 _“Yes, she has a friend in town and she thought it was a good idea for me to meet him”_ Sarah has been talking about this guy since she knew he would drop by in Atlanta for a visit. That Melissa would love to meet him, that she should give it a chance. That maybe something could come out of that, and if not, she would at least meet a new person who was enjoyable to spend time with. In the end, she accepted it because why not?

 

 

_“Hm, a double date then”_

 

 

 _“Well… I wouldn't call it like that, but… we’ll see what happens tonight. Maybe he’ll ask me out, who knows”_ Melissa says, while turning around once again and checking her dress one more time. Red was definitely a good color on her, she thinks again.

 

 

 _“Hm, yeah”_ It’s Norman’s reply, his voice totally devoid of the warmth of a few minutes before.

 

 

 _“Are you ok? What's wrong?”_ Melissa asks instantly, because she’s genuinely confused. He seemed fine just now, teasing her like he always does.

 

 

She waits, the phone silence for a few seconds, until he finally replies.

 

 

 _“Nothing, just jealous you have a date on Friday night in Atlanta while I'm here bored as hell in New York”_ He says finally, and she smiles at that. Knowing Norman, not having anything to do on a Friday night is the same as her willing to go out everyday of the week for shots of tequila at the local bar. It doesn’t fit him at all.

 

 

 _“Too bad I'm not there to drag you out of the house”_ She teases, trying to get him out of his funk.

 

 

 _“Ha! Yeah. Funny.”_ He snorts, because even Norman knows this is not their roles when it comes to their relationship. He’s usually the one dragging her out of the house in hopes she won’t become just one more piece of the furniture.

 

 

Before she can say anything else, her doorbell rings, and suddenly she feels in a hurry to check herself one more time before leaving, the feeling of forgetting something important in her outfit more strong than ever.

 

 

 _“Oh, I think Sarah is here. Ok, I gotta go. I'll call you tomorrow ok? Bye bye”_ She says, listening his reply while she’s already pressing the “end call” button.

 

 

 _“Bye. Have fun”_ Norman answers, but the line is dead already halfway he finishes speaking it.

 

* * *

  
  
  


He hangs up with a frown. He suddenly feels uneasy, and can’t pinpoint the reason for that. Doesn’t know exactly why the heavy feeling inside of his chest is so palpable when just a few minutes before he was more than happy to just stay in his bed, chatting with Mel until sleep claimed his body.

 

 

Maybe it’s that. Actually, it’s probably that. He was ready to spend his friday night doing nothing, just catching up with her, and now that she had plans, it cut him short on his. It’s been 8 days since they last talked on the phone, so it felt like a perfect opportunity, to call her on a Friday night. She’s usually the one staying in her house while he’s always somewhere, doing something or meeting someone, but it seems like tonight the tables have reversed.

 

 

Besides she has a date.

 

 

The thought catches him by surprise and he wonders why is it bothering him a little. Probably because he has been feeling overprotective of her lately. Since she opened up to him about her asshole ex boyfriend, it seems like she trusts him fully to tell whatever she’s feeling at the moment. Trusts him to understand her. And he feels grateful for that. Can see how better she is when it comes to that, and the many nights they spent talking about what she went through, what he went through on his own relationship with Helena, the signs they missed, how they changed after, made them realize that sometimes, open up to someone who gets you might help a lot when it comes to get over these feelings that were left behind. And Melissa gets him. And he believes he gets her too.

 

 

He saw how better she is now that she seems to have lift the burden of keeping for herself all those doubts about what happened with Robert. So much so, she’s now open to go on dates with perfectly strangers, instead of going for what she already knows, that Jared guy who seems to be pretty boring for someone like Melissa. At least where Norman is concerned.

 

 

But he’s happy for her. He is. He needs to be. She deserves to live her life. He can’t be sulking here just because he is the one at home all alone on a Friday night.

 

 

He picks up his phone, quickly dialing a number, waiting.

 

 

_“Hey man, what’s up. It’s Norman. Wanna hang out? Maybe go to a bar or something?”_

 

* * *

  
  


He’s on his fifth shot already, the warm feeling of the alcohol doing wonders when New York is so freaking cold.

 

 

Shadi, his friend of years since he moved here, is laughing at some stupid joke he just made, and he feels good. Definitely better than staying at home watching TV and doing nothing. He’ll have an audition next week for an indie role on a movie he was interested in, but until there, there’s not much to do to kill time.

 

 

Norman feels his phone vibrating against his pocket, grabbing it only to see Melissa’s name flashing on his screen with the notification of a message.

 

 

_Sorry for hanging up so quickly earlier. Call you tomorrow ;)_

 

  
  
He looks at the time on his phone. 2:55 am. Her date probably went very well, if the time she got home it’s any indication of that.

 

 

He’s about to reply when someone touches his shoulder, and he turns his head to face the pretty bartender looking at him with a smile on her lips. Probably ready to kick them out of the bar already. The place got empty rather quickly in the last hour.

 

 

 _“Hi. I’m sorry to bother, but-”_ She starts, but he is already apologizing before she even finish.

 

 

 _“No, it’s alright. We’re leaving already. Shadi, c’mon.”_ He’s about to stand up when she stops him again, shaking her head.

 

 

 _“No no, it’s not that. I’m sorry, this is coming across all wrong. I wanted to ask you… are you the guy from that zombie show? The redneck? Because you look just like him and I was wondering if maybe…”_ She trails off.

 

 

For a few seconds, Norman is shocked. He had been recognized a few times, but mainly by dudes at the grocery store at 3am or by people who knew him from Boondock Saints. Never because of The Walking Dead

 

 

Never here in New York

 

 

_“Yeah. It’s me. Hi. I’m Norman. Norman Reedus. I play Daryl”_

 

 

Shadi laughs out loud again, and he kicks him on the leg where the pretty woman in front of him can’t see it, hoping he shuts the fuck up.

 

  
_“Oh my god, I never met someone famous before. Hi.”_ Her hand is mid air, like she’s waiting for him to grab it, and Norman does just that, shaking it while the woman smiles at him. _“I’m Glenn. Glenn Lovrich”_  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said previously, some real people will make appearances in this fic. I don't claim to know anything about them or how the relationship between these people are in reality. This is just fanfiction, and doesn't represent the truth. Thanks for reading.


	5. 2011 - May (A slow burn)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It takes him a moment to process what’s happening, before he’s wrapping his arms around her too, burying his face into her hair. She smells like vanilla and something flourish.
> 
>  
> 
> Fuck, he missed her.
> 
>  
> 
> “I missed you so much” She says, like she’s answering his exact thoughts.

He wakes up with a groan, the sound of the alarm of his phone, set on his bedside table,  ringing through the sleepy haze wrapped up around his mind. He spent the day before traveling from New York to Georgia, and Norman realizes he’s not 20 years old anymore. Feels like he could sleep for the rest of the day.  
  


 

But he has things to do. A meeting with Frank and Melissa about the upcoming season, and this is enough to wake this sleepy brain.   
  


 

He doesn’t know exactly why Frank wanted to talk only with both of them, and it makes him nervous. Maybe he will be killed off. Maybe both of them will. Shit. He hopes not. He wasn’t expecting the success the first season would bring, but he enjoys working with all these people.   
  


 

Especially Melissa.  
  


 

Thinking about her makes him feel uneasy. A weird mix of nervousness and excitement. It’s been awhile since they met, since november of last year. They’ve been talking since then regularly, but still, it’s different to finally see her in person.  
  


 

He has so many things he wants to tell her. Some projects he’s thinking about, things he wants her to share her opinion of it.   
  


 

He gets up to make his breakfast, when his phone rings. He picks it up to see the name flashing on his screen, suddenly aware he totally forgot to call Glenn the night prior.   
  


 

_ “Hey, I’m so so sorry. I was dead tired yesterday” _ Norman greets her while walking down the hallway to the kitchen to start his day with a cup of coffee.   
  


 

_“It’s ok babe, I imagined you were dead to the world. Just wanted to check if everything is alright.”_ Her voice is sleeping, which shows him she probably set up her alarm just to call him. He smiles at that. Makes him feel good, to have someone caring in that way about him after so long.  
  


 

_ “I’m ok, don’t worry. Go back to sleep. I’ll have a meeting in an hour or two and then I’ll meet a friend for lunch. I’ll call you when I get back” _

  
  


_ “Ok. Don’t forget it. I miss you”  _ She answers with a yawn.

  
  


__ “Miss you too. Bye”  
  


 

He put his phone on the counter, getting his coffee ready while his mind wanders. This is another thing he’s planning on telling Melissa about. That he’s dating now. Although he imagines she must know, since he met Steven in New York on the break and ended up introducing Glenn and him to each other.  
  


 

Wonders what’s going to be her opinion about Glenn. He doesn’t know why he’s kind of nervous about that, but he figures it’s probably because every opinion she has means too damn much to him.

 

* * *

  
  
  


__ “Ok, so, let’s go straight to the point, no time for babbling. Carol and Daryl, I want them to be a thing.”  
  


 

Norman barely had the time to sit straight on his chair, looking at Melissa sitting beside him, flashing her a smile, before Frank dumped on them the reason why he requested this meeting with only both of them in his office.   
  


 

He just stares at him for a moment, before looking at Melissa, who maintains a neutral expression. He looks back at frank, while he looks from one to the other, waiting for anyone to break the silence.   
  
  
  


_ “I… hm… well, this is great… right?”  _ Norman says, looking at Melissa again. Honestly, he does think it’s great. Since their scene by Ed’s dead body, he thinks about how awesome it would be if both of them could actually make the Carol - Daryl relationship grow. After filming a scene where Daryl tries to flirt with Carol but fails completely, they even discussed about what that could mean in the long run, and they were even excited with the prospect of having the two of them becoming a couple.   
  


 

Unfortunately, the scene was cut off on the final edition, and they were left wondering if maybe it meant the writers regretted that move.   
  


 

It seems like they hadn't’ after all.   
  


 

But Melissa’s expression it’s impossible to read right now. She just looks at Frank for a few more seconds, before drifting her gaze to norman. He can see a glimpse of something in her eyes, but before he can figure it out what it means, Frank breaks the silence that settled between the three of them   
  


 

_ “I can see you have something on your mind McBride, so you better say it”  _ Frank says smiling from his chair, looking at both of them across the table.   
  


 

_ “Well, I just think it might be too soon. I don’t know when you’re planning on making them… “a thing” as you said, but… She just lost her daughter. Or she will lose her daughter, actually. I don’t think she’s in a mind frame of getting herself involved romantically with someone...and I think the Carol - Daryl bond could maybe benefit from a more… slow approach don’t you think?”  _ By the time she finishes her sentence, she’s looking at Norman, and it suddenly hits him, what exactly she’s trying to say.   
  


 

_ “You mean a slow burn?”  _ He says, and she looks at him with a questioning gaze.  __ “You know, building up the tension between them, slowly creating this shift in their relationship, and keeping the public hooked wondering when they will, you know… bang”  
  


 

Melissa and Frank laugh out loud at that, both of them shaking their head at him, before Melissa flashes him a smile so beautiful he can’t help but wink at her.   
  


 

_ “I liked your description Reedus. I actually like what you both are saying. I just want to know if you are comfortable in case we decide to go for that path. I don’t want anyone doing something against their will, when it comes to this kind of storyline”  _ Norman smiles at frank, grabbing Melissa’s hand that is rested on her knees and bringing it to his lips.   
  


 

_ “No problems at all, right Mel?”  _ Norman looks at her, and she just nods at him with a smile before looking at Frank.   
  


 

_“I actually love the idea of them being a couple. Especially because Norman was having some ideas about Daryl that could really benefit not only their storylines together, but Daryl’s one in particular.”_ Norman suddenly feels his throat dry, giving Melissa a look that she promptly ignores by smiling at him.  
  
  
  


He narrows his eyes at her, before looking at Frank and taking a deep breath   
  


 

_ “I was thinking about Daryl’s past… hm, what if we hinted at what he went through with his father when he was a kid?”  _ He can feel Melissa’s fingers squeezing his hand, realizing he never really let go of her in the first place. It makes him brave.  __ “I think we should give him a more complex background. Maybe he’s also a victim of abuse. I was discussing with Mel the other day….”  
  


* * *

  
  
  


_ “We are going to have Glenn and Maggie already as a couple, there is the drama between Shane, Rick and Lori. I think Carol and Daryl relationship could be a little different. Have them really getting to know each other, overcome their past, especially with Frank loving your idea. I told you he was going to love it.”  _

 

 

She has been talking non stop since they left Frank’s office, walking the 15 minutes from the place to a restaurant so they could have lunch together. He doesn’t mind though. He liked a lot when she was inspired enough to speak like that, mainly because Melissa was always the kind of person who rather listen to people than talking to them. It’s good to see her having the opportunity to share what she thinks and believes. 

 

 

Suddenly, she stops, turning around to face him. He looks at her startled, trying to understand what she’s doing, when her face breaks in a smile before she’s stepping into his space, wrapping her arms around his middle. It takes him a moment to process what’s happening, before he’s wrapping his arms around her too, burying his face into her hair. She smells like vanilla and something flourish. 

 

 

Fuck, he missed her.

 

 

_ “I missed you so much”  _ She says, like she’s answering his exact thoughts. Then, she steps out of him, going back to her position by his side, step by step with him on the sidewalk. But keeping his arm around her shoulders.  _ “Tell me everything about New York. A bird told me you even found love”  _ She bats her eyelashes at him, and he snorts, both at her tone of voice and her ridiculous expression.

 

 

_ “Steven that fucker, can’t keep his mouth shut even if his life depended on it”  _ He squeezes Mel against his side when she laughs and slaps him lightly on his chest, telling him to stop being so mean.

 

 

By the time they sit together for lunch, they can’t stop sharing everything that happened since he went back to New York. He tells her about Glenn and how it not that serious yet, but she’s a nice girl and he enjoys spending time with her. Tells her about the project that it’s on his mind since he left Georgia. Norman hadn’t told anyone about it yet, but he’s planning on publishing a book with his photographs.

 

 

Melissa’s interest in that fills him with confidence.

 

 

They spend the day walking around and entering a few shops here and there, Norman looking for a few paints he wants to hang up around his house, while Melissa tells him about what she did while they were on their break, and how she’s wondering if maybe moving to a smaller town than Atlanta wouldn’t be better. Maybe Senoia. She’s getting tired from the city. Tells him about her parents and a few stories of when she went to visit them a few weeks before.

 

 

She also tells him about how she’s back to see that Jared guy on occasion.

 

 

He’s wondering about that on his way home, thinking if maybe things are getting serious between her and this guy. Norman saw him just once, when he ended up having dinner with Andy and Gael at the same restaurant Melissa was with him, and he still thinks Jared is not the guy for her. 

 

 

Not that it’s any of his business, but he can have an opinion on that can’t he?

 

 

He opens the door and spreads himself on the couch, grabbing his phone for the first time in the day.

 

 

_ 3 messages _ _   
_ _ 4 missed calls _

 

 

_ “Shit”  _

 

 

He totally forgot about calling Glenn. Fuck. 

He dials her number, making a mental promise of not being such an asshole again.  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Norman said at some point in one of his interviews that he fought for Caryl to not happen on season 2 because he thought it would cheapen their relationship, with them happening so soon. But I never believed he was the one not wanting it like that, because no offense to Norman, I don't feel like he would have this kind of insight. And we know he discusses a lot of his character arc with Melissa, as he stated recently on Talking Dead. So I wrote my version of what happened.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. 2011 - November

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truth is, they hadn’t seen each other so much as they used to.   
> They still had their time together outside work, they still reserved some of their Sundays to just be together, but it wasn't quite the same.

Her house is buzzing with people, talk and laughter. She smiles from her porch, looking at Jared and Andrew together in a deep talk while the wind sips through her.

 

 

She came outside to catch a break from all the noise surrounding her, but she’s not regretted by the decision of inviting everyone.

 

 

It has been a good year. A great one. She finally moved out from Atlanta, settling herself in Peachtree. She was happy with this. Melissa longed for a life where she could have her own house, surrounded by trees and away from the city, and now she could finally afford it. That was the reason why she gave this party for the cast and crew. To celebrate.

 

 

She had a more prominent role in the show. Nothing extraordinary, and she would definitely changed a thing or two when it comes to how they deal with Carol’s grieving her daughter's disappearance, but still, it was challenging. She couldn’t wait to see how people would react to the revelation about Sophia’s fate. And she was so happy with how Carol and Daryl seem to be gravitating more and more towards each other. Of course she can’t be sure about the future and if she’ll survive a third season, she considers herself lucky to have gotten this far. But it warmed her heart, how their relationship seems to be evolving and slowly becoming something more. 

 

 

She was also happy for Norman. This year had been a great one for him too. Daryl’s popularity was increasing quickly, especially after their Cherokee Rose episode. He was, no doubts, becoming one of the most popular characters and he deserved that. The effort he puts in the character, he deserves it so much.

 

 

He also seemed happy in his relationship, and it’s more than what she could ask for.

 

 

Truth is, they hadn’t seen each other so much as they used to. They still had their time together outside work, they still reserved some of their Sundays to just be together, but it wasn't quite the same. Many weekends, he came back to New York to be with his son or Glenn (sometimes both). She had also came to Georgia a few times, and Melissa had even invited both of them for dinner once. She seemed like a nice girl, and Norman deserved to be with someone who liked him.

 

 

And she herself had decided to give Jared a chance, actually spending more time with him than just their occasional meetings once or twice in a week. She had to admit that yes, she was in a relationship.

 

 

It was safe, her heart wasn’t on the line. She didn’t have big feelings for him, wasn’t head over heels, but he made her feel good. They had a lot in common. Both liked being alone, both enjoyed the silence. And they had similar tastes too. It was a good fit.

 

 

_ “Earth to Melissa, where’s your mind at?” _

 

 

She jumps at the sound of Norman’s voice, looking at him standing next to her on the porch rail.

 

 

_ “Just… thinking”  _ she sips from her glass, and looks at him while he stares ahead, seeming to watch the party happening inside.  _ “Where’s Glenn?” _

 

 

_ “Inside somewhere. Last time I saw her, she was talking to Emily.”  _ He drinks from the beer from his bottle, turning his head in her direction _ “Where’s Jared? Haven’t seen him without you the whole night” _

 

 

She smiles at that, rolling her eyes at him. Norman likes to poke fun at her and Jared, pretending he’s feeling jealous of the man. It’s true, Jared didn’t give her a break the whole night. But she assumes it’s because it’s the first time he’s surrounded by her co workers.

 

 

_ “Inside somewhere. Talking to Andy last time I saw him”  _ she replies, and nudges him playfully on his shoulder.  _ “I was thinking… it was a good year, wasn’t it?”  _ Melissa voices out loud her thoughts, and Norman nods in agreement. 

 

 

_ “It was. Although… I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages”  _ He gives her his best puppy eyes, and she can’t avoid laughing at him.

 

 

_ “Oh, stop, you’re in New York all the time. Don’t come at me”  _

 

 

He seems like he’s about to say something, but then Norman just shakes his head and smiles at her. Raising an eyebrow, before draping his arm over her shoulders, bringing her close to him, both of them staring at the people inside her house.

 

 

_ “Sometimes…”  _ Norman starts, but then stops and frowns.

 

 

_ “What?”  _ Mel nudges him, prompting him to continue

 

 

_ “Sometimes I have these visions… not visions, but… sometimes I imagine how the future could be you know? What am I going to do ten, twenty years from now. And these people… Andy, Steven… I can’t imagine myself without them” _

 

 

She understands him. She does. Because she can’t imagine it either. Can’t picture her life without their presence anymore.

 

 

_ “Can't imagine myself....without you”  _ Norman whispers, and she looks up at him. It takes him a moment to let his gaze drift back to her, but when he does, she can’t help but smile at the sincerity she sees in it.

 

 

She understands that too.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking so long to post a new chapter. I had a problem with my notebook and had to wait a few days until I had it back. The sad part is that I lost everything I had ready for this fic. Also, a few personal problems weren't let me get back to this. But I'm back now.
> 
> And I know this chapter is more of a filler, and I know it's taking a long time to get to them romantically involved, but we will get there. Hang on *hugs*


End file.
